MANODARPAN is a platform to provide psychosocial support to students, parents & families for their mental health and emotional well-being
Staff Reporter / New Delhi
Union Human Resource and Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishak today virtually launched the Manodarpan initiative under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. This initiative will provide psycho-social support to students, teachers and parents and address their issues related to mental health and emotional well being.
Launching the Manodarpan, Mr. Nishank said, this initiative will provide strength, suggestions and support to the students, teachers and families in the difficult situation.
He said, a helpline number 8448440632 has been launched to provide the consultation which can be accessed from morning 8 AM to 8 PM.
Appreciating the role of the teachers and students, he said, there are 33 crore students in the country and they will play an important role in making India clean and healthy. He said, the government is making all efforts to bring online syllabus for the students and trying to provide online education to every student.
The Minister informed that the Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, launched the ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT ABHIYAN and, the MANODARPAN initiative has been included in it, as a part of strengthening human capital and increasing productivity and efficient reform and initiatives for the Education sector.
He further stated that a Web-page named MANODARPAN- Psychosocial Support for Mental health & Well-being during the COVID outbreak and beyond has since been created on the Web-site of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The Web-page contains advisory, practical tips, posters, podcasts, videos, do’s and don’ts for psychosocial support, FAQs and online query system. A National Toll-free lpline (8448440632) has also been set up. This unique helpline shall be managed by a pool of experienced counselors/ Psychologists and other mental health professionals and will continue beyond the COVID-19 situation. Through this helpline tele-counselling will be provided to the students to address their mental health and psychosocial issues.
While addressing the participants Mr Dhotre said that the pandemic has affected children as well as adults psychlogically and emotionally. In such a climate, we need organised and institutionalized help. He said that the mental health has a reciprocal relationship with the well-being and productivity of a society and its members. Hence, it is essential for the well-being and functioning of individuals in such a climate we should also come forward as a more cohesive and mutually interdependent society. He also said, the MANODARPAN initiative has been included in the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan as part of a strengthening and empowering the human capital to increase productivity and efficiency through reforms and initiatives in the education sector.
He further added, the resources mobilized through the MANODARPAN initiative are envisaged to facilitate a sustainable psychological support system for students, families and teachers, and will be a great utility even in the post-corona times with proactive and preventive mental health and well-being services integrated into the mainstream of learning processes.
Following components are included in the MANODARPAN initiative:
Advisory Guidelines for students, teachers and faculty of School systems and Universities along with families.
Web page on the MHRD website, which will carry advisory, practical tips, posters, videos, dos and donts for psychosocial support, FAQs and online query system.
National level database and directory of counsellors at School and University level whose services can be offered voluntarily for Tele-Counselling Service on the National Helpline.
National Toll-free Helpline by the MHRD for a country wide outreach to students from school, universities and colleges. This unique helpline shall be manned by a pool of experienced counselors/ Psychologists and other mental health professionals and will continue beyond the COVID-19 situation.
Handbook on Psychosocial Support: Enriching Life skills & Wellbeing of Students to be published online. The booklet will include FAQs, Facts & Myths and will also cover ways and means to manage emotional and behavioural concerns (from young children to college youth) during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Interactive Online Chat Platform for contact, counselling and guidance by psychologists and other mental health professionals which will be available for students, teachers, and families during COVID-19 and beyond.
Webinars, audio-visual resources including videos, posters, flyers, comics, and short films to be uploaded as additional resource materials on the webpage. Crowd sourcing from students all over the country will be encouraged as peer support.